Elastic composition floor



reamed m 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES runs-arc n. BOELKOW, or wauwa'rosan'nn rarnnnrcn WILHELMo'r'ro ns'rmer PATENT OFFICE.

- OI NOBTH IILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNORS TO DURABLE FLOOR CORPORA-T1011, 01' MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.-

' nmsrrc comrosrrron rroon.

80 Drawing.

Our invention relatesto an improvement in composition floors, whichossess thevery desirab e attributes "of dura ility and permanence, andat the same time have the 6 likewise desirable feature of elasticity,which latter contributes reatly to the comfort of persons whose worrequires them to stand upon afloor for protracted periods of time.

The composition floor. embodied in our in- 10 vention is intendedprimarily for use in dwelling houses. It is impervious to mois ture, andhas been used advantageously in and factories, where traflic isvoluminous.-

It,-is entirely free from the objections attendant upon the use offloorsof the strenolith type, inthat it is not susceptible to wear andconsequently does not produce dust. Moreover, in addition to beingelastic to the tread, that same property preserves the composition floorfrom cracking and so becoming unsightly.

The im roved com ositiou floor may be readily laid in old buildings aswell as new. 8 In racticing the invention, we first prepare an lay abase, this being composed of commercial wood flour or a mixture of woodflour with fine sawdust magnesite- (25%), and. gray silica (50% which smixed with a suitable quantity 0 magnesium chloride to produce athoroughly coherent plastic mass, the plastic mass being spread over thefloor boards and pressed or rolled into a layer ap in thickness.

flooring boards.

The surface layer is composed of the best ade of wood flour (25%), maesite white silica (18%), and fla e as- 45 gbestos (12%). Thiscomposition is likewise mixed with a suitable quantity of magnesiumchloride so as to form a thoroughly saturated and coherent plastic massof the nature of his base will be nailed" to the that first described,but which may be less, spread over the base in a layer moist, and isapproximately %ths of an inch in thickness. The best results areobtained by tamping the surface layer with-wooden tamping devices offlat face and about 12 inches square,

roximately %ths of an inch Application ma January 20,, 1926. Serial 1%.cam...

.such tamping devices being provided ,on

their fiat face with parallel ribs about onehalf an inch wide and spacedthe same distance apart, so as to thoroughly impact the plast1c materialinto a closely adhering mass and. express the surplus moisturetherefrom. While we prefer the tamping as described, other pressuremethods may be used.

l?ractice of the invention as above descr1bed,willproduce a floor thesurface of which is neutral in tint, but whi'ch' is a.c.- ceptable incertain places and is economical. Variegated surface appearance in thefloors of dwelling houses is often required,- and to produce the desiredefiects, we introduce eoloring matters into the composition forming thesurface layer of the floor. This is effected by dividing the mixedbulkw'hich is I to form the surface layer into a number of parts, eitherwhile its components are in a dry state or after they have beenconverted into a plasticstate, and mixing with the selected divisionalparts suitable coloring pigments, such as iron oxide, zinc oxide,carbon, canary yellow, Prussian blue, or other elements which willproduce desired colors. Each sub-divided part is thoroughly mixed sothat the chosen color permeates the whole of the particular part, andproduces a uniformly colored divisional mass. In break ing up thedifferently colored divisional parts, now in a plastic state, previousto .the mixin of all of the parts "so as to effect distributlon of thecolors throughout the wholemass, we rub s'uch differently colored partsthrough a screen of suitable mesh, or pass them through, a grinder,from-which they emerge as separated particles.

The several differently colored parts, each new in the form of acohering but readily frangible. mass, are mixed together so as to colorsthroughout the whole, the colored fra ents,.however, remainin 'distinctwith their separate entities preserve The plastic aggregate with thecolorsdistributed there through, is now laid as a surface coat andtreated in the manner hereinbefore described for laying the surface coatof a single color.

It is essential that care be exercised in the timin of the severaloperations, in order that t e best results maybe attained. The surfacelayer mustbe p aced upon the base while the latter is damp, in order .tobind effect a good distribution of the separate I properly and secure anintegral formation.

The tamping action must be preformed at the time that the surface layerhas received a suitable set. After the tamping action has beencompleted, the surface layer will be covered with a cloudy film, whichis removed by scraping just before the final set highly pleasing.

able in bath-rooms and kitchens.

of the surface layer takes place. After scraping, the several colorswill stand out distinctly and in such manner as to give the surface ofthe floor a finished appearance which is The finished surface may berubbed with a thin coat of raw linseed oil. Aprons or wash-boards may beformed and contribute greatly to the appearance of the improvedcomposition floor.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is:

' portions stated of wood I. An improved composition for floors formedas a mixture substantially in the proflour, magnesite,

white silica, and flake asbestos, saturated with magnesium chloride, andadapted while magnesium chloride to bind the constituent elementstogether. 3. An improved composition floor, comprising a base layerformed as a plastic in combination wlth a surface layer, the latter.

being composed of wood flour, magnesite,

white silica, and flake asbestos, with magnesium chloride.

4. An improved composition floor comprising a homogeneous plastic layerpressed into place, and formed of wood our, magnesite, White silica,flake asbestos and coloring matter saturated with magnesium chloride,and presenting a yariegated colored surface.

5. A magnesite floor containing wood flour and asbestos as an aggregateor filler, sub stantially in the proportions stated.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names at Milwaukee, this 9thday of J anuary, 1926.

FRIED. WILH, OTTO LISTING. FREDERIC E. BOELKOW.

saturated

